Founding Gaia
by storylover17
Summary: AU of Children of Time. The Defiant crew is thrown two hundred years in the past and stranded on a strange planet. Odo regains his shape shifting three months after the crash. The first person he sees is Kira, who tells him everything that had happened since the crash. Now Odo, Kira and the rest of the crew have to adjust to life on a new planet with no chance of ever going home.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

Three months had passed since the crew of the _Defiant_ had crashed on a strange planet and been thrown two hundred years in the past.

A lone woman walked into a building. At first glance one might have mistaken the woman for a human but upon closer inspection they would have seen her nose ridges and the earring in her right ear and realised she was a Bajoran. This Bajoran woman was none other than Major Kira Nerys, former rebel and member of the Bajoran Militia.

Kira sighed as she walked into the building made from the hull of the _Defiant._ She still found it hard to believe she and the rest of the _Defiant_ crew were trapped on some strange planet in the Gamma Quadrant. Kira knew things could have been worse though. The _Defiant_ had at least crashed on a planet with a breathable atmosphere and temperate climate. And luckily no one in the forty-nine person crew had been seriously injured. Kira realised that was something to be grateful for, but she'd still rather be back on Deep Space 9.

Kira walked through the building that acted as the shared sleeping quarters, kitchen, sickbay and living space for the entire crew. The place was a bit cramped with forty-nine people but it would have to do until more buildings could be erected. The Bajoran was about to turn the corner when she ran into two people.

The two people Kira ran into were dressed in tattered Starfleet uniforms, though her own red Bajoran Militia uniform had seen better days. One was a human male with shaggy hair and a beard. The other person was a woman. She could have been mistaken for a human but when one saw the line of spots framing her face, it was easy to tell she was a Trill. It took Kira a moment to recognise the human male as Dr. Julian Bashir and the Trill as Lt. Cdr. Jadzia Dax.

"Jadzia? Julian? What are you doing here? I though the captain had you both on planting duty." asked Kira.

"We are. Julian and I were just on a break. We're going to get something to eat. Do you want to join us?" answered Jadzia.

As if on cue, Kira's stomach growled. She smiled and agreed to join the two for a quick meal. The three walked to the area of the building currently being used as the kitchen. Jadzia walked up to the replicator mounted onto the wall and got three small plates of food. She took the tray and brought it back to the others.

Bashir frowned at seeing the size of their meals.

"Is the replicator still giving everyone rations? I thought O'Brien fix that thing." spoke Bashir.

Jadzia put down the food.

"From what I hear he fixed the replicator twice. Sadly, there's nothing the Chief can do about it. The replicator's power has run low. Sisko's ordered everyone on rations until we can either find a new power source for the replicator or until those plants we've been growing turn a good crop. And I hope it's soon. We're already half way through summer and winter will be here soon. If we don't have enough food, then we'll starve." stated Jadzia.

No one liked the thought of starvation. Already everyone of the crew had lost a quarter of their bodyweight due to the lack of food. That's why everyone was working on finding eatable plants and animals. If they could learn which were safe to eat and gather a big enough store before winter, it wouldn't matter if the replicator lost all power. But until then everyone would have to deal with rations.

An awkward silence formed between the three friends. Kira tried to distract them all by asking how the planting was going.

"So how's the planting going?" awkwardly asked Kira.

"It's been a bit rough at first but I think everything going fine now. We've made a few estimates and we should have our first crop ready just before the end of fall. Worf's also told me that they discovered three large herbivore species that are eatable. He's leading a hunting party to try and bring in a few of them so we can have a big feast tonight." told Jadzia.

"That's good to hear. It will be great to have a real meal for once. I also have some good news to report. The aqueduct system we've been working on the past two months should be done by the end of the summer." informed Kira.

Julian and Jadzia were stunned to hear Kira's announcement.

"That's great news Kira." said Jadzia.

"That's wonderful. I can't wait to get off that showering schedule. Maybe I'll even be able to get myself a proper shave." exclaimed Bashir.

Everyone would be glad once they had running water again. Just as the food, water and showers had to be rations. The current system of collecting water involved going to the nearest river, which was over half a mile from where the _Defiant_ crew had build the shelter, and bring it back by hand in whatever container could be used to carry it. Once they had running water and a stable crop everything would be a lot easier.

"How are things going in the medical department, Julian? I heard you discovered a plant that could be used to make a new vaccine." said Jadzia.

"I've actually found several local plants that we can use to make proper medicine. It's a good thing too. If everyone already hadn't been healthy before the crash and if there hadn't only been a few minor injuries, I'm pretty sure none of us would have survived. I'll feel a lot better once we have a good store of medicine and a few more people trained in proper medical procedures. It will be nice when I'm not the only one capable of treating injuries around here." explained Bashir.

Kira, Jadzia and Bashir continued to eat their rationed meal, talking about all the things being accomplished by the stranded crew. They might have been stranded on an alien planet two hundred years in the past, but the _Defiant_ crew was doing everything they could to bring a sense of normalcy. Until then, they would all keep working together and try to make the best out of their current situation.

 **I figured it would take the** _ **Defiant**_ **crew at least a few years to properly establish a stable colony on Gaia. The first thing I think they'd do would be to get access to running water and have a stable crop. Until then I think they'd have to ration and pool resources.**

 **Sorry if this chapter wasn't all that exciting. I just wanted to establish what I thought the early days on Gaia would have been like. Please tell me if anyone seems too out of character. Comment if you like the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

An amber gold liquid burst from a small containment unit. The liquid began to take on the form of a tall humanoid with a half formed face, immaculately kept hair and bright blue eyes. The humanoid form the liquid took on was a male dressed in tan and brown security uniform with a Starfleet comm. badge.

Odo didn't know how long it had taken him to regain his ability to shape shift, but he could tell it had taken more than a few days. The Changeling looked around the room. It looked like a makeshift sickbay that also doubled as a storage room. Odo knew he had never been in this place before and yet it somehow looked familiar.

The Changeling walked through the open doorframe (there appeared to be no doors anywhere in the building) and began to search the building. There appeared to be no one in the building then Odo's half formed ears picked up the sound of three people talking. He followed the voices to their source and the glosser he caught, Odo realised he recognised the voices. The voices were that of Major Kira, Lt. Cdr. Dax and Dr. Bashir.

Odo stormed into what seemed to be a kitchen/dining area. He looked at Kira, Dax and Bashir and was shocked to see their current state. The three looked up from their meal and seemed just as surprised to see Odo as he was to see them.

Kira got up from her seat and slowly moved towards Odo. Odo looked at the Major, his oldest friend, and was disgusted by the state she was in. Kira had lost a good amount of bodyweight, her ribs partly showing through the tattered remains of her red uniform. The Major's usually cropped red hair was now shoulder length and looked like it hadn't been washed in over a week. But her eyes, those beautiful brown eyes, still show with all the strength and hope Odo remembered. Only there was something more in them, but Odo couldn't tell what.

Kira couldn't believe it. Odo was standing right in front of her. The Changeling hadn't been able to leave his natural liquid state since the _Defiant_ crashed. Bashir had said the quantum energy barrier that surrounded the planet prevented Odo from changing shape. The doctor had assured Kira when she asked about Odo's condition that he would eventually learn to counteract the barrier's affects, but when was a mystery to him.

"Odo!" cheerfully said Kira.

Kira couldn't help herself. She threw her arms around her friend, catching the Changeling off guard. Odo hadn't been expecting Kira to act like this, and apparently neither had Jadzia or Bashir, judging by the way they looked at the two.

"Major, what's going on? Where are we and what happened to you?" asked Odo.

Kira released Odo from the unexpected hug and regained her composure.

"Constable, what's the last thing you remember?" wondered Kira.

Odo took a moment to think but he had a hard time remembering the last thing he had done clearly.

"I remember we were heading back to the station when we changed our course to investigate a planet. That's all I can remember." told Odo.

"Don't worry about your memory. We're all having a few problems recalling what happened just before we passed through the quantum barrier. Jadzia found a planet surrounded by a quantum energy barrier. We think we managed to land on the planet alright but when we tried to leave about thirty-nine hours after landing, we hit a part of the barrier and were somehow thrown two hundred years back in time. The _Defiant_ crashed but luckily no one was seriously injured." explained Kira.

Jadzia and Bashir walked up behind the Major and Constable without them noticing. It took Odo to actually recognise the two. The good doctor's hair was shaggy and he had grown a beard. Jadzia's hair had also grown longer and her usual dark ponytail was messier than usual. The two were covered in dirt and their Starfleet uniforms were tattered, showing the outlines of their slightly underweight bodies.

"We almost had a serious injury, Kira, and you know it was pure blind luck that it didn't happen." stated Bashir.

"Julian, I thought we put this behind us weeks ago. I was thrown from my chair before I was shocked by that electric current. I'm fine and in as good of health as I can be. You cleared me just like everyone else after the crash." reminded Kira.

"And need I remind you once again that if you hadn't been thrown from your chair just seconds before that electric current passed through it, then you could very well be dead right now." exclaimed Bashir.

Everyone seemed to have forgotten about Odo because he continued to listen to Kira and Bashir argue about her health. Odo was horrified at the thought that his Kira could have been seriously injured or worse…

Jadzia seemed to remember Odo was in the room.

"Guys I don't mean to interrupt but I feel I need to remind you that we are not alone." said Jadzia.

Kira and Bashir suddenly realised that Odo was with them. For a brief instant Kira thought she saw a look of grief and shock cross Odo's face but it happened so fast that she didn't know if she had just imagined it.

"I'm sorry Odo. I forgot you were there." apologised Kira.

"That's alright, Major." replied Odo.

Jadzia and Bashir had finished their meal and went back to the field to continue planting. This left Kira and Odo alone. An awkward silence formed between the two. Use sure of what to do, Kira told Odo everything they had done since the _Defiant_ crashed.

Odo had to admit he was impressed by the progress the crew had made. In a little over three months forty-eight people had managed to erect a durable shelter, start growing a decent crop, find possible medicines, and build the beginning of a decent running water system. It was quite impressive for a few dozen people to create with only a handful of resources at their disposal.

"Where is the Captain?" asked Odo.

"I think Sisko's overlooking the construction of the aqueduct system. I can take you to him." spoke Kira.

"That would be acceptable, Major. When do we depart?" calmly said Odo.

 **This is where the AU part starts. I wanted to do a scenario where Kira survived and having her thrown out of the chair was all I could think of. Tell me if anyone seems out of character. Comment if you like the story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

A dark skinned human male with curly hair and a close cropped beard stood watch over the ten people assigned to working on the aqueduct system. The man was Captain Benjamin Sisko, the leader of Deep Space 9, emissary to the Bajoran Prophets and now the defective leader of the stranded _Defiant_ crew. Sisko had been doing his daily rounds of the settlement and decided to stop and observe the engineers at work on the aqueduct system.

The engineers, headed by Miles O'Brien, had been forced to change the initial plan for the aqueduct system three times. They had managed to lay down most of the pipes created from the replicator and get the systems to bring the water to the settlement into place. The only thing that really had to be done would be to connect the system to the main building and create some actual places to use the water.

At the thought of O'Brien, Sisko began to worry. The Irish engineer had been in a slump ever since the crash. O'Brien didn't know why everyone acted like they would never go home again. He agreed to help build up the settlement because they were all going to need food and supplies if they couldn't be rescued before winter, but the man would not give up hope that someone would find their transmission in the future and send a crew to rescue them. There had been cases of Starfleet ships travelling back in time before, both intentional and accidental. O'Brien knew the crew would eventually be rescued. It would just take a bit of time.

Sisko knew where O'Brien was coming from. O'Brien was determined to get back to his wife and kids on Deep Space 9. Sisko missed his own son and everyone else he had left behind, but they were too hundred years in the past. The Bajoran wormhole hadn't been discovered and chances were the transmission they sent out didn't even make it passed the quantum barrier surrounding the planet. Sisko and a majority of the crew realised they weren't going home and decided to make the best they could out of their current situation. But there was still a small percentage of the crew, most notably O'Brien that still held hope of being rescued.

Sisko was snapped out of thinking when he heard someone call his name. The captain turned around to see it was Kira who had called to him. Someone was walking beside Kira. It took a moment for Sisko to recognise the person as Odo.

"Constable, it's good to see you up and about again." said Sisko.

"Thank you, captain. I still have a hard time maintaining this form. It will take more time before I regain complete control of my shape shifting." spoke Odo.

"Is there anything you wanted to talk to me about, constable?" asked Sisko.

"There is, captain. I was hoping for you to assign me to some form of work." told Odo.

Sisko took a moment to think. He already had ten people working on the aqueduct system. Worf and six other had gone out hunting. A few were out exploring the area while everyone else was working on the planting.

"I don't think there's anything for you to do today, constable. I already have people assigned everywhere it's needed. Take the next few days to adjust. I expect you to keep an eye on him, major." lightly joked Sisko.

"You can count on me, captain." replied Kira.

If Odo would have really been a humanoid he would have been embarrassed by the implications made by the captain and Kira. But he was a Changeling so he wasn't affected by their joking. He really wasn't.

Kira took the Constable by the arm and led him by the arm back to the settlement. Odo tried to ignore the feeling that overwhelmed his entire being when Kira touched him. He forced himself to ignore his feelings, keeping all his focus on maintaining his humanoid form.

Kira gave Odo a quick tour of the building and told him where everything was. Odo did his best to memorise the layout of the building. After the tour the Constable found an isolated place where he could return to his natural form. The barrier was still making it hard for Odo to maintain his form. It would take a good deal of practice before he was back up to his previous ability. Kira left her friend alone, knowing he would want to be alone. She turned and left the building just as the hunters were returning.

 **I figured it would take Odo a bit of practice to maintain his form in the barrier even after he learned how to do it. Tell me if anyone seems out of character. Comment if you like the story.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

The hunters had returning. At the lead of the returning hunters was Worf. With his wild hair and beard, ridged forehead, and mek'leth held high above his head, Worf looked like an ancient Klingon warrior returning from battle. Everyone dropped what they were doing and ran to the hunters. The hunters smiled as they were greeted by their friends, dropping the three beasts they had risked their lives to bring back to the settlement.

Jadzia ran to the hunters and greeted Worf. The Klingon smiled as he embraced the lovely Trill in his arms. The two shared a passionate kiss. Jadzia and Worf had been in a relationship for the last two months. The Klingon and Trill had already been attracted to each other before the crash and after they realised they couldn't return to the station, they decided to act on their mutual attraction.

"I'm glad you're back, Worf. I'm even gladder to see those chattel you caught." said Jadzia.

"I too am looking forward to tonight's feast. Those these chattel were no challenge for a warrior. They practically waited for us to be within a meter of them before they started running from us." spoke Worf.

Jadzia looked at the animals the hunters had brought back to the settlement. The _Defiant_ crew had begun to categorise and name the different species on their new home. The creatures Worf and the other hunters had killed looked like a cross between Earth cattle and elk with shaggy coats, short horns and long tails. Because of their appearance to cattle and the chattering sound the creatures made to communicate, the crew had taken to calling the animals chattel.

"If these things are as docile as you say they are then perhaps we could domesticate them? It'd be easier to have domestic animals we could use for food than always having to go out and hunt. I'll bring the option up with Sisko after the feast." suggested Jadzia.

At the mention of the feast, Worf remembered he still had to help the others skin the chattel carcasses. With one more kiss from Jadzia, Worf went to finish his job with the other hunters. Once the chattel had been skinned the meat was taken to the kitchen in prepared for the feast and the hides were taken aside for tanning. The crew would attempt to make clothing with the chattel's fur and hide.

By the time the feast rolled around everyone was in an uproar. In anticipation for the feast, Sisko had allowed several pairs of scissors and razors to be replicated. Everyone was glad to get a real hair cut and shave in after so many moths of having to go without one.

Kira, with her hair freshly cropped and uniform given a quick repair job, sat by an open fire eating her roasted chattel. The meat was tough on the outside but tender on the inside. After getting by on mere rations for three months, having an actual full meal was a luxury. Kira revealed in the meat, savoring every single delectable morsel.

Everywhere throughout the settlement the _Defiant_ crew were enjoying themselves. People were dancing around a fire, feasting on the chattel and simply enjoying themselves.

Jadzia pulled herself away from the celebration. The Trill saw her Bajoran friend sitting by herself. Jadzia sat down beside her friend. Kira smiled at her friend, glad to have the company.

"Enjoying the party?" asked Jadzia.

"It's the most fun I've had since the crash. I just wish Odo was here to enjoy it with us. But you know the Constable. He's not much for parties." spoke Kira.

A sly smirk crossed Jadzia's lips.

"So how are things with you and Odo?" wondered Jadzia.

"Odo and I are fine, just as we've always are." said Kira.

"But things aren't as they've always been, Kira. We're no longer at the station. Everything has changed." reminded Jadzia.

"I know things have changed, Jadzia. We've all had to adapt to being here." stated Kira.

Realising that Kira wasn't getting what she was hinting at, Jadzia decided to change her technique. The Trill looked and saw Bashir sitting by a fire talking to a young woman. The good doctor had cut his hair and shaved his beard.

"Julian seems to be getting friendly with that woman." observed Jadzia.

It took a few moments for Kira to recognise the woman.

"That's Angie Kirby. She's an ensign who transferred aboard the _Defiant_ a week before we crashed." told Kira.

Jadzia already knew who Angie Kirby was (it was not hard to know people when there were only forty-nine of them in one settlement) but she was trying to get Kira to get what she had been hinting at. Sadly it seemed the Bajoran woman was just as oblivious as before. Shaking her head, Jadzia left her friend and went back to dancing. Kira just sat by the fire, quietly praying to the Prophets for the protection and safety for all the crew.

 **The chattel were a real animal species mentioned in Children of Time. I just made up their description. Sorry if things weren't that exciting this chapter. I'll try to make the future ones more exciting. Tell me if someone seems out of character. Comment if you like the story.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

Days passed and Odo found himself adjusting to a new routine. Each morning the Constable would start his rounds while everyone else was getting breakfast. Once everyone was done eating and went off to work, Odo would find a secluded area of the building where he could practice his shape shifting. The more Odo practiced his shape shifting the less affected he became by the quantum energy barrier surrounding the planet. After he was done practicing his shape shifting, Odo would busy himself helping out around the settlement.

So far all the Constable had been doing was break up fights between the crew. The fights were usually over petty things (stealing tools, being late for work, ect.) but they were happening so often that the Constable found himself at his wits end.

Odo was currently breaking up a fight between Security Chief O'Brien and another engineer. The fight had apparently started when the Chief reprimanded the other engineer (Odo believed her name was Ensign Rita Tannenbaum) for being an hour late for work. Several witnessed backed up Rita's claim that she tried to explain to O'Brien that she had been helping with the planting. The Chief had apparently not cared about Ensign Tannenbaum's excuse for being late; he just wanted her to be on time when he assigned her to the engineering team that day. One thing led to another and eventually Odo was called in to break up the fight.

"Enough. I don't care how this fight started. Just don't let it happen again. The Captain gave me permission to deal with disruptions as I see fit. Ensign Tannenbaum, I'm giving you a warning. Chief O'Brien, I'm going to recommend to the Captain that he reassign you to another work force for the next few weeks." stated Odo.

O'Brien couldn't believe it. The Irishman ran a hand through his filthy golden curls. O'Brien didn't know what to do. He wanted to scream at the Constable for daring to take away his position. He wanted to do as Odo suggested and take a few weeks off from the engineering team. The last few months of stress had started to get to O'Brien and he knew he shouldn't be taking it out of his subordinates, but it was just hard for the Chief to cope.

O'Brien hadn't felt this overwhelmed since he was a soldier fighting against the Cardassians. When the _Defiant_ crashed everyone had been lost. Captain Benjamin Sisko had quickly stepped up and kept the crew from falling apart. While the Captain kept the crew together, the job of finding out a way to get usable power, running water, proper shelters and other base necessities fell to O'Brien and the engineering team. The stress had started to get to O'Brien and the Irishman realised he needed a break before he did something he regretted.

"You're right, Constable. I'll go see the captain and ask him to reassign me to another area for the next few days." agreed O'Brien.

O'Brien left the next most senior engineer in charge during his absence. With a sigh, the blond Irishman trudged his way back to the shelter where he knew Captain Sisko would be this time of day. Odo watched O'Brien until he was confident the engineering chief was going to do exactly as he said. With that matter settled Odo wnet back to doing his rounds.

Sisko wasn't expecting anyone to come looking for him when he was one his break. That didn't mean the former Starfleet captain wasn't happy when he was O'Brien come in and talk to him. O'Brien hadn't properly spoken with Sisko or anyone since the first few weeks after the _Defiant_ crash. Since then O'Brien had been saying that they would all find their way back to DS9 before they knew it. In the beginning Sisko had hoped O'Brien would be right but as the weeks passed he knew getting back to DS9 was nothing more than just a dream.

"Captain, I have to speak with you." said O'Brien.

"What is it you want to talk about, Chief?" asked Sisko.

"Sir, I'd like to be reassigned for the engineering team for the next few days." told O'Brien.

Sisko was surprised. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Can I ask why you want to be reassigned from the engineering team?" questioned Sisko.

"I got into a fight with Ensign Tannenbaum. The Constable broke it up before we had the chance to do any harm. This is just the most recent in a long line of fights I have gotten into with my team. The Constable said he wanted me away from engineering for the next few days. He'll probably come and file a report with you later, captain, but I wanted to tell you myself before that happened." confessed O'Brien.

"I'll see what I can do about reassigning you for the next few days. And also O'Brien until you're back at engineering you're confined to quarters during non-work hours and your rations will be cut." stated Sisko.

Sisko didn't want to add to O'Brien's punishment but he had to. Infighting just couldn't be tolerated. They needed everyone working together if they were to survive, no exceptions.

With a nod, O'Brien turned and went to the shared crew quarters. The chief engineer would wait patiently for Sisko to reassign him for the next few days, but until then O'Brien would think about the crew's return to DS9 and his reunion with his wife and children.

 **Sorry about the late update. I've been busy with college. I'll try to update faster in the future. Tell me if anyone seems out of character. Comment if you like the story.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

Winter came faster than expected. By the time the first snow fell the crew of the _Defiant_ had a reinforced shelter with running water, a fully charged generator, reasonable sized food store, and the beginning of several important medicines. And it was just in time to. When the first signs of winter came a raging storm had all forty-nine of the crew trapped in the shelter.

Everyone huddled around the hearth trying to get warm. People dressed in crudely made coats and boots from chattel fur and hide. The replicator had finally lost the last of its power so no warmer clothes could be replicated. The last of the replicator's power had gone into producing as much food, water, medicine and emergency supplies that it could before the machine burned out.

Odo watched over the crew all gathered in the main room of the shelter. The Constable observed the shivering humanoids as they tried to fight off the cold. As a Changeling Odo could handle the cold far better than any humanoid could. Seeing as he had no need to stay in the main room trying to get warm, Odo turned to leave when he noticed Kira Nerys sitting in a corner shivering violently.

Concerned for the woman he cared about, Odo walked up to the shivering Bajoran. Kira looked up at Odo, surprised to see the worried look on his face. Odo had a right to be concerned about Kira. The Bajoran was dressed in only her tattered old red militia uniform and chattel skin boots. She didn't even have a coat or emergency blanket like all the others.

"Nerys, why are you sitting here alone? You should be near the fire. You'll catch your death if you stay here." worriedly stated Odo.

Kira just smiled at the Changeling, trying to suppress the shivers that racked her body.

"Don't worry about me, Odo. I'll be fine. I went through worse when the Cardassians were occupying Bajor." insisted Kira.

"That still doesn't make it right to just let you sit here and freeze." replied Odo.

Kira couldn't believe what Odo did next. The Constable released his humanoid form and returned to his true golden liquid state before changing into a thick blanket. The Odo-blanket moved along the floor until it was securely wrapped around Kira's shivering body. A wave of warmth washed over Kira; bring a smile to the Bajoran's face.

Kira didn't know if she was more surprised by Odo becoming a blanket to keep her warm or the fact that he changed shape in front of the whole crew. True they were in a corner of the room and everyone was mostly focused on trying to stay warm, but that still didn't change the fact that Odo changed his form in public. Before the _Defiant_ crashed Kira knew Odo would never have done that.

Kira felt a warm fluttering in her chest. The Bajoran woman embraced the warm feeling as she allowed accepted the first bit of comfort since the _Defiant_ crashed.

"Thank you Odo. You don't know how much this means to me." sincerely spoke Kira.

Odo replied by wrapping himself tighter around Kira, doing all he could to keep her warm. Kira closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, content in the embrace of her oldest friend.

From that day on over the entire winter Kira and Odo remained close. They were never far from the other's side, helping each other through the cold and harsh winter months. The Changeling always made sure the Bajoran kept from neglecting herself, making sure she had enough to eat and turning into a blanket or coat to wrap himself around her whenever she got too cold. In turn Kira made sure Odo didn't overwork himself and actually joined in with the rest of the crew when they could find something to celebrate.

By the time spring came the two were closer than ever. Kira was thankful for Odo's support and comfort during the crew's first winter. Odo would never admit it but he hoped that his deepening bond with Kira would lead to them being more than friends someday, but for now the Changeling was content to just do his part to try and help everyone survive on this strange new world.

 **Sorry about the late update. Comment if you like the story.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

Winter passed slowly. The days kept getting shorter and shorter as the nights grew longer and colder. Raging blizzards and storms occurred with little warning, despite the crew's best attempts at trying to predict the unruly weather patterns.

Most of the technology salvaged from the _Defiant_ was either broken or low on power. People were forced to rely on open fires and hand clothes to keep them warm, the remains of the Starfleet uniforms having become little more than rags nearly eight months after the crash.

Jadzia Dax was sitting in a corner of the shelter's main room. The Trill was busy trying to knit a shirt out of the wool like fur the hunters had collected from the chattel. Three others, two men and a woman were helping Jadzia make clothes. The four of them were currently tasked with making and repairing clothes alongside three other teams. Jadzia had never knitted before, and neither had any of the previous hosts of the Dax symbiont, so the Trill was finding the task a bit harder than some of the others.

Sighing, Jadzia put down her knitting momentarily. She took a moment to calm herself as she redid her braid. Having regained her equilibrium, Jadzia was going to continue with her knitting when a cheer rang out through the main room. A smile slowly spread across Jadzia's face. There was only one reason anyone cheered during this cold and bleak winter. The hunters had returned and by the sound of it, Jadzia could tell the hunt had been successful.

A Klingon walked into the room, his wild, unruly hair covered in frost from the fierce storm raging outside. Ten others, all of them human, stood behind the Klingon in a similar state. Dressed in furs and armed with replicated bows, arrows, spears and knives, the small hunting party almost looked like they belonged to some prehistoric tribe instead of once being members of a twenty-fourth century starship crew.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and ran to greet the hunters. The hunters smiled and laughed as they were greeted by friends, comrades and lovers. Jadzia was at the front of the group as she greeted her Klingon lover Worf with a fierce kiss. Worf return the kiss with his Trill lover before the two quickly parted.

"I see the hunt was successful." observed Jadzia.

"Tracking prey in weather like this was no trouble for a Klingon warrior like me. The others did struggle a bit but with my training they managed to keep up with me." stated Worf.

Ever since the _Defiant_ crashed, Worf had been teaching the rest of the crew basic Klingon fighting and survival tactics. While Starfleet trained all of its officers in combat and basic survival, Captain Benjamin Sisko had ordered everyone to learn Klingon survival methods from Worf as a backup plan. Everyone had to learn as many skills as they could if they wanted to survive in this strange new world, whether they liked it or not.

"That's great Worf. Maybe next time I could join you." offered Jadzia.

"It would give me no greater pleasure than to have you by my side during the next hunt." replied Worf.

"I'll talk to Sisko and see if he can get me assigned to the next hunting party. I could really use it. Being stuck in this place is starting to drive me crazy." stated Jadzia.

Worf placed a hand on Jadzia's shoulder. Jadzia looked at the usually serious face of her Klingon lover; slightly soften in concern for her.

"Jadzia, there is something I have been meaning to ask you. We are going to be stuck here the rest of our lives and I would not want to spend that life with anyone else but you. Jadzia Dax, will you marry me?" proposed Worf.

Jadzia could not hide the excitement on her face. True she and Worf had only been together for a few months, and she would have waited longer if they were back on DS9, but they weren't on DS9. They were on an uncharted planet in the Gamma Quadrant over two hundred years in the past. What could or would have been done back at the station didn't matter anymore, so Jadzia accepted Worf's proposal.

"Yes, Worf, yes. I will marry you." accepted Jadzia.

Cheers rang throughout the hall for the happy couple, but Jadzia paid them no mind. All of her focus was on her lover…no her fiancé. Jadzia smiled as she and Worf sat down to get something to eat, images of the future they would have together dancing through the Trill's head.

 **Sorry if this chapter seems a bit sloppy. I wanted to get a bit more in-depth about Worf and Jadzia's relationship. Tell me if either of them seemed OOC. I'll try to make the next chapter a bit more exciting. Comment if you like the story.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

After months of endless cold and raging storms, spring had finally returned. The _Defiant_ crew was busy getting ready for their second spring. Fields were already being plowed and planted. The engineering team, led by Miles O'Brien, were out fixing the main part of the aqueduct system that brought running water to the crew's shelter. Several other engineers and volunteers were busy patching up the shelter walls and roof, damage brought on by the last raging storm of winter.

Julian Bashir, former Chief Medical Officer for the _Defiant_ , ignored the engineers as they hammered away at repairing the damaged ceiling above him. The good doctor was grateful that the area of the shelter that had so far been used as a medical bay would soon have a stable roof, but that didn't mean he had to like hearing the repairs as they were done. Seeing that he would get no work done in the medical bay, Bashir decided to go to the main hall of the shelter to try and clear his head.

As soon as Bashir entered the main hall, he saw one Jadzia Dax sitting at a table working on something. Jadzia was dressed in a well worn shirt and pants made from chattel wool. Practically everyone had switched over to wearing handmade clothes and shoes since the end of winter. Most of their Starfleet uniforms had been too tattered to salvage, giving the _Defiant_ crew little choice but to adopt a new wardrobe.

Bashir sat himself down beside Jadzia. The Trill looked up from her work momentarily, giving Bashir a kind smile when she saw who had sat down beside her. Bashir returned the smile, dark eyes focusing on the device Jadzia held in her hand.

"What's that you're working on Jadzia?" curiously asked Bashir.

"I'm working on an educational program. Sooner or later everyone's going to be having kids and we're going to have to teach them. Sisko gave me permission to use whatever was left over from the _Defiant_ to write my code. I can show you what I have done so far. It's still in the early stages but as soon as O'Brien and the other engineers have that wind turbine up and running and we have electricity, I plan on installing that monitor we salvaged from the _Defiant_ to give educational lectures once I have the code finished." explained Jadzia.

Jadzia handed the device she had been working on over to Bashir. Bashir's eyes grew as wide as saucers when he stared at the device Jadzia gave him. There on the screen was a short, orange humanoid figure with a bulbous forehead, beady eyes, snarled teeth and ginormous ears. The orange alien was raddling off basic math equations, but Bashir wasn't paying any attention to that. All he could focus on was why Jadzia chose to use that particular person as the face for her educational program.

"Why in the world would you use Quark as the teacher for your educational program? And how did you even get his image?" wondered Bashir.

Jadzia smiled as she took back the device from the exasperated doctor.

"I got the images of Quark from the security cameras of the _Defiant._ As for why I chose to make Quark the face of my educational program, I was imputing a few basic math equations when it just seemed to hit me. Quark has always been good with numbers. Besides, I always thought he would make a great math teacher." answered Jadzia.

Bashir tried to imagine the selfish, bad tempered bar owner trying to teach a math class to a room full of hyperactive young children. The thought made the good doctor shutter. Bashir still thought Jadzia was crazy for using Quark's image for her educational program, but if she did keep it hopefully the Trill would tone down some of Quark's less savory personality traits. He didn't want to think what would happen if Jadzia didn't modify Quark's personality for her educational program and it ended up scaring the kids she had designed it for to teach.

All Bashir and Jadzia's musings were cut short when a woman with long dark hair ran into the room. Bashir looked at the woman and instantly recognised her as Angie Kirby, one of people he had been training to become a medic. Angie was panting, sharp gasps passing her lips as she tried to catch her breath.

"Angie, what's going on? What happened?" asked Bashir.

"Kira…Kira's in…trouble. I…I t-tried to help, b-but there was no equipment. She needs you, Julian. Hurry." panted Angie.

Bashir was on his feet in an instant. The doctor ran to the makeshift sickbay and grabbed everything he could find. Angie hadn't stated the extent of Kira's injuries, and in hindsight he probably should have waited to hear what Kira's condition was before he ran off to get his supplies, but at the moment Bashir didn't care. His only concern was getting to his friend before it was too late.

Having gathered everything he thought he would need, Bashir followed Angie to the injured Kira. Jadzia followed after the doctor and his assistant. There was no way Jadzia was staying behind when one of her friends was injured. So the three ran to help the injured Bajoran, hoping for the best, and bracing themselves for the worst.

 **Sorry about the late update. Comment if you like the story.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

Kira didn't know how everything managed to get so far out of his control. Everything had started out so simple. How did it a simple exploration mission manage to turn into a tragedy?

The mission had been a simple one. Sisko wanted to know more about the area that surrounded the settlement, so he asked for a three person team to volunteer to do a more thorough exploration of the area. Kira Nerys and Angie Kirby had volunteered to go on the mission. Kira had plenty of experience mapping and exploring unknown terrain from her time fighting with the Bajoran rebels during the Cardassian Occupation. Angie just wanted to get away from the settlement for a while, things becoming a bit tense between her and another one of the medics Bashir had been training. Sisko had permitted the two women to go on the exploration mission by themselves, even though he would have preferred there to be a third member on the team.

In the beginning everything had been fine. Kira and Angie walked at a steady pace, looking for anything that could be of use or a danger to the settlement. Already the two women had discovered two patches of edible barriers, a burrow dwelling bird that tasted somewhat like turkey, and several more plants Angie identified as possible medicines.

Suddenly, a massive predatory creature came bounding towards the two women. The creature was at least three meters tall, had a massive build and a bulky frame. The creature walked in a posture similar to that of a gorilla, but its appearance was more like that of a bear. Its body was covered in long shaggy fur, a dark mane running the length of its back.

Kira and Angie noticed the creature as it began to run towards them. The two women dropped the heavy packs they had been carrying, quickly drawing the bow and arrows they each were armed with.

The creature was now less than fifty yards from them and closing. Angie stared at the creature, unsure what to make of it.

"What is that thing?" asked Angie.

"That's a yar-bear. Worf and I ran into one the last time we were out hunting. We saw that thing take down three chattel all on its own. Whatever you do, Angie, don't take your eyes off the yar-bear for an instant." explained Kira.

With a nod, Angie kept her eyes locked on the yar-bear. The two women drew their bows, waiting until the yar-bear was within range before firing upon the beast with a rain of arrows. Neither of the two woman was remarkably good at archery, evident by more than half their arrows missed their intended target, but soon enough the yar-bear had been brought down.

Slowly, the two women approached the body of their kill. Up close the yar-bear seemed even bigger than they had initially thought. The creature did in truth look like something out of a nightmare. Angie was even sure for an instant that the yar-bear was just playing dead, but she pushed that thought aside when she saw the arrow that had entered through one the yar-bear's eyes and exited through the opposite ear. There was no way any normal creature could survive a wound like that.

"Angie, quit daydreaming and help me look over this corpse. If we can determine if the yar-bear's meat is edible, then we won't have to worry about hunting until fall. At the very least we can use the hide to make clothes and the bones, claws and teeth for tools." spoke Kira.

Angie snapped out of her daydream and went about helping Kira test the yar-bear corpse to see if it was edible. The two women spent the next two hours taking measurements and recording their findings on the yar-bear in the journals they had been using throughout the mission. By the tests Bashir and a few of the other scientists had invented, Angie could clearly say that the yar-bear's flesh was indeed edible. She was about to cut into the beast's stomach and examine the contents when she heard a scream.

The scream had come from Kira. The Bajoran woman was clutching her hand, a large stream of blood pouring from the open wound on her palm. Angie ran to the Bajoran's side, quickly looking over her injured palm.

"How did you injure your palm, Kira?" asked Angie.

"I was trying to extract one of the yar-bear's teeth when the forceps slipped and I cut my hand. It's not that bad, Angie. Really." insisted Kira.

It was true. The cut on Kira's hand wasn't that deep. Angie knew it wouldn't need stitches, so she disinfected the Bajoran's wound and put a bandage on it.

Feeling they had collected enough data on the yar-bear, the two women decided to head back to the settlement. They had originally planned to spend another two days collecting data, but with the yar-bear already beginning to attract insects, the two knew they had to act fast before the scavengers claimed perhaps the best kill the crew would get all summer.

After setting up a few traps to deter the scavengers and covering the yar-bear with a tarp to keep away the insects, Kira and Angie made their way back to the settlement. Everything was going fine until they were less than half a mile from the settlement. Kira suddenly collapse without warning. Kira was instantly at Kira's side, helping the woman sit up as she tried to catch her breath.

"Kira, what's wrong? Why did you collapse?" worriedly asked Angie.

Kira looked at the other, but couldn't speak. Angie watched in horror as Kira's eyes grew glassy and her breathing became shallow. Pulling a tricorder from her pack, Angie quickly scanned Kira's vitals. It was just as she feared. Kira was suffering from some kind of infection. But how could Kira have gotten an infection? That's when Angie remembered Kira had cut her hand on the yar-bear's teeth. When she conducted the test on the yar-bear's mouth she had seen nothing that would be of danger…for a human. But Kira was a Bajoran. Whatever bacteria was in the yar-bear's mouth must have responded differently to Kira' Bajoran physiology than it would to a human.

Angie didn't know what to do. She didn't have the right equipment to properly treat Kira. She had to go back to the settlement and get Bashir. That was the only way Kira could survive.

"Kira, I have to go get Bashir. I don't have the right equipment to treat you. I'll be back as fast as I can. Just hang on." spoke Angie.

After moving Kira to a safer location, Angie ran back to the settlement as fast as she could, hoping she would make it in time to save the Bajoran's life.

 **The yar-bear was a real animal mention in the Children of Time episode. I kept thinking of it as a bear, but that description just seemed to plain. I hope you enjoy how I described the yar-bear, and also how I explained how Kira had been injured.**

 **Sorry about the late update. I've been busy with college and couldn't update until now. Exams are coming up in a week so I might not be able to update again until winter break. Comment if you like the story.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

The settlement built by the survivors of the _Defiant_ was in a frenzy. Odo paced the halls of the shelter, trying to keep everyone from reaching the makeshift medbay. The Changeling had already had to chase off half a dozen concerned crew members who had no reason to be there when Odo knew very well they should have been doing their jobs. But, then again, how could he blame the crew for their actions when he himself was just as worried about Kira as everyone else, not that he would admit it aloud.

When word got out of Major Kira Nerys' injury from a yar-bear, everyone had been in a rush to try and reach the Bajoran woman before it was too late. After almost a year of being stranded on the planet, the forty-nine person crew had grown increasingly close. Banding together had been the only way to survive. That had caused deep bonds to form between everyone, including those who had previously been strangers before the crash.

Captain Benjamin Sisko, the leader of the survivors, had permitted a few of Kira's closest friends to see her, but had forbidden everyone else from stepping foot in the medbay unless it was an emergency. So far the captain had only given Jadzia, Worf and Odo permission to see Kira, alongside himself and Julian Bashir, Kira's doctor.

Of all those permitted by the captain to see Kira, Odo had yet to visit her. Despite knowing Kira the best out of anyone in the crew, Odo just could not bring himself to face her. The Changeling did not want to admit that he was worried the one he cared for the most might not survive. Nothing Bashir had done so far had helped Kira. The doctor was doing everything he could, but Odo knew he should expect the worst.

If they had still been on the station Kira could have easily been treated. But if they still were on the station, Odo realised, none of this would have ever happened. Kira would still be alright, the crew would go about their daily lives, and he would remain in the shadows just as always. Once, just once Odo wished he could get over his fear and face Kira. He had been given the opportunity to tell her how he felt just before the crash. But he had been too scared, convincing himself that Kira would see him as nothing more than a friend. After all, what solid humanoid in their right mind would fall in love with a Changeling?

Odo shook his head and tried to regain his composure. This was no time to be thinking about romance. But as he turned the corner leading to the medbay, Odo paused. Perhaps just this once he could let his heart lead him. Before he realised what he was doing, Odo had walked into the medbay and saw Kira.

The Bajoran woman was laid out on a table, a spare blanket covering her shivering form. Slowly, Odo approached the table where Kira lay unconscious. He gently caressed her cheek, careful to keep from waking her.

"Nerys, you simply must get better. The settlement needs you. We need your strength and courage if we are to survive. But more than that, Nerys, I need you." spoke Odo.

Odo paused. Should he risk it? There was no one around. Taking a chance, Odo spoke the words he had been wanting to tell Kira for so long.

"I love you, Nerys. I have always loved you." gently spoke Odo.

Odo heard a groan and felt Kira move under his hand. The Changeling froze. He looked down and saw Kira staring back at him.

"Odo?" asked Kira.

What should he do? How long had Kira been awake? Did she hear him confess his feeling for her?

When Odo didn't respond, Kira began to worry. She reached out to touch his arm, only to have Odo jump back like a frightened deer. Kira didn't know what to make of what she saw next. One moment the constable was there, and the next he was gone.

Odo had fled from the medbay as fast as he could. The constable knew his actions were irrational, but he was too overcome by his own emotions to care. He had just done what his instincts told him the best course of action would be. And at that moment it had been to run, hoping to put as much distance between himself and Kira as possible.

 **Sorry about the late update. Please tell me if anyone seems out of character. Comment if you like the story.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

Kira wiped the sweat from her brow, taking a moment to rest before returning to watering the crops. Jadzia walked up to her friend, offering to share her canteen. Kira graciously took a long sip from the canteen, a sigh of relief escaping her lips after the cooling liquid slit down her throat.

The summer heat was taking its toll on everyone. The blistering heat already caused several people to be sent to Bashir to deal with hallucination and heat stroke. Jadzia had cut her hair, like many of the female crew members, in an attempt to keep cool but was still suffering from the heat. Kira was handling the heat better than most, being used to extreme temperature changes from her time fighting the Cardassians during the Occupation.

"I don't know how much more of this heat I can take. I just hope it lets up soon. I promised Worf I'd grow my hair out before the wedding." spoke Jadzia.

"So how is the wedding planning going?" asked Kira.

Ever since Worf and Jadzia had announced their engagement, the entire settlement had been in an uproar. It was to be the first wedding in the settlement. Everyone was excited to see what the ceremony would be like. The majority _Defiant_ crew had been human, meaning they had no idea how Klingon or Trill weddings were preformed.

"We are still deciding on the details, but Worf and I have asked Sisko to officiate our wedding. You should have seen the look of Benjamin's face when I asked him to officiate the wedding. You'd think he'd been told he got promoted to admiral by how he reacted." laughed Jadzia.

Kira let out a light laugh. Her laughter then faded as her expression grew grim.

"Kira, are you alright?" concernedly asked Jadzia.

"Jadzia, what would you do if someone said they were in love with you but then ran away?" wondered Kira.

Jadzia was confused by Kira's question.

"Where did that come from? Does this have something to do with how you and Odo have been acting for the last few weeks?" questioned Jadzia.

For the last few weeks, ever since she had been discharged by Bashir, Odo and Kira had been avoiding each other. More precisely, Odo had been avoiding Kira. Jadzia had no idea why the former constable was doing everything he could to avoid the major. Almost everyone had noticed Odo's change in behavior. It was hard not to, considering how clingy the Changeling had been towards the Bajoran during the winter.

"When I was sick, Odo confessed that he was in love with me. At first I thought it was just a dream but when I confronted him about it when I was better, he denied that he had said anything like that. Since then Odo has been avoiding me and I don't know what to do." confessed Kira.

Jadzia placed a hand on Kira's shoulder, giving her friend a reassuring smile.

"I think you need to think about how you feel about Odo." said Jadzia.

"Odo's my friend. He's been the closest thing I've had to family since my parents and brothers died. I care about Odo but I never thought about him in that way. It never crossed my mind." stated Kira.

"Perhaps you should. We're going to be stuck here for the rest of our lives, Kira. Just give yourself some time. You don't have to rush into anything." gently spoke Jadzia.

Without another word, Jadzia got back to watering the crops. Kira decided to think about her feelings for Odo before confronting the Changeling about his recent behavior. It was like Jadzia said. They were going to be stuck on this planet for the rest of their lives. There was no need to rush into something until she was ready.

 **Sorry about the late update. I've been busy with exams. Tell me if anyone seems out of character. I'll try to fix it in future chapters. Comment if you like the story.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

The day everyone had been waiting for finally arrived. It was the day of Worf and Jadzia's wedding. For weeks the crew had been decorating, preparing food and gifts, and cleared out a room in order to give the newlyweds some privacy on their wedding night.

Jadzia had agreed to hold a traditional Klingon wedding for Worf (or at least as traditional as they could maintain on this planet). The wedding began with several people beating on drums, signalling the start of the wedding. Everyone waited in anticipation as Benjamin Sisko preformed the ceremony, as both Worf and Jadzia had requested.

"In fire and steel did the gods forge the Klingon heart? So fiercely did it beat and so loud was the sound that the gods called out, 'On this day we have forged the strongest heart in all the heavens. No one can stand before it.' But then the Klingon heart weakened and the gods asked, 'Why have you weakened so? We have made you the strongest in all creation.' And the heart said…" spoke Sisko.

Worf stepped forward, prepared to give the speech he had spent months rehearsing.

"I..I..I am a-alone. I a-a-ask of you to…make me a companion." stuttered Worf.

Worf felt foolish for stumbling over his vows. He had been practicing this for months and yet he still felt nervous. Perhaps if they were still on DS9 and he was with other Klingons then it would be different, but Worf was no longer on the station so what could or would have been did not matter. All that mattered was the woman who stood before him.

"So the gods returned to their forge and created another heart." continued Sisko.

This time Jadzia stood. She was dressed in a simple working dress with flowers woven into her long braided hair. Worf found himself so transfixed by the sight of Jadzia dressed for their wedding that he almost did not notice when Sisko handed the couple each a bat'leth.

"But the second heart beat stronger than the first. The first grew jealous of its power. Luckily the second heart was tempered by its strength." spoke aloud Sisko.

"If we join together no force can stop us." said Jadzia.

Worf and Jadzia now set aside their bat'leth, joining hands as the ceremony continued.

"And when the two hearts began to beat together, they filled the heavens with a terrible sound. For the first time the gods knew fear. They tried to flee but were slain by the hearts they had forged. To this very day no one can oppose the beating of two Klingon hearts." finished Sisko.

The ceremony concluded with Worf and Jadzia swearing to always be at the other's side and ever let any opponent separate them. The entire crew cheered as they kissed.

As the applause for the newlyweds continued to echo throughout the valley, two others quietly slipped away to talk. Odo had reluctantly agreed to go with Kira under the deception to everyone else that they had gone to get more food for the feast. When the two of them were alone in the shelter with no one around, the moment Odo had been dreading finally happened.

"Odo, we can't keep going on like this. We need to talk about what you said to me in the sickbay." stated Kira.

"Talk about what, major? About how I have hidden my feelings for you knowing you could never return them." bitterly replied Odo.

Kira was slightly taken aback by the tone of Odo's voice but she was not all too surprised. Everyone had changed in some way since the crash. Why should Odo be an acception?

"First of all, my feelings are my own to decide. Second, what made you think that I would never return your feelings?" asked Kira.

Odo was momentarily stunned but Kira cut him off before he had the chance to interrupt her.

"You have always been one of my closest friends, Odo. I truly do care about you. But it wasn't until you told me about your feelings that I considered the possibility of us being something more than friends. I talked to Jadzia and asked the Prophets for guidance. What I got was a single moment of clarity. In that moment I realised my feelings for you had changed. Please don't think I'd just because we're trapped on this planet that I'm saying this, and I'm not just telling you what you want to hear, Odo. I genuinely think I might be in love with you. All I am asking is that we give this a chance and see where it takes us." explained Kira.

Odo didn't know what to say. This is what he had wanted for so long and now that he was practically given the opportunity to be with the one he secretly loved, he had no words to describe how he felt. So Odo let his actions speak for him.

The Changeling gently grabbed the Bajoran by the shoulders and placed a soft kiss to her lips. His hands found their place in her hair and on her back as she wrapped her arms around his neck. That kiss was all the two needed to know that they were going to be together and that nothing would ever separate them.

 **Sorry about the late update. I have been having writers block and couldn't think of a way to continue the story. I'll try to update faster in the future. Comment if you like the story.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

The sun rose slowly over the only settlement on Gaia. Nearly two dozen houses lay intermingled among various storehouses, workshops, and the clinic. Carols and stables for the chattel and other domesticated animals were guarded by sentries armed with spears and bows and arrows. The fields surrounding the village were tended to by a number of people, some adults and a few children. Wind turbines and water pumps provided the settlement with all the electricity and water it needed, both during summer and winter. And in the center of all of this lay the original shelter build by the _Defiant_ crew, now serving as the town hall and occasionally a school house.

Kira could not believe how much the crew had managed to build in only twenty years. In the last two decades they had managed to expand the settlement, secure all the food, water and power they needed to live comfortably throughout the year, and nearly double their population. Nearly everyone had either paired off or formed small groups within the first few years after the crash. Others, such as O'Brien, had refused to settle down believing they would still return to Deep Space 9, but eventually even O'Brien had to accept the truth and eventually settled down.

Kira laughed as she recalled O'Brien's wedding to his fellow engineer, Rita Tannenbaum, ten years after the crash. The Irishman had formed a close friendship with his fellow engineer and since Rita was one of the few people left unattached a decade after the crash, the two had decided to get married. They were close friends and Kira knew they loved each other, but everyone, including Rita, knew that Miles O'Brien still secretly held out hope of returning to DS9 and returning to the wife and children he had left behind. But now more than ten years after he had married Rita and with a few children of his own with her that he had to worry about, Kira could see that her friend was beginning to heal from the wounds left from abandoning his first family.

Everyone in the crew had somewhere between three to ten children, though it averaged out somewhere close to five. Worf and Jadzia were the only couple who married early that had only one child. It was not from lack of trying (Bashir had reports of the two of them coming to the clinic for his aide multiple times over the years) but Klingon and Trill genomes did not easily combine. It took them several miscarriages before they had been able to have a single healthy child, and the two were still trying for more.

Kira shook her head as she watched Worf teach his and Jadzia's child, along with a handful of other children and a few teenagers, how to fight like a Klingon in the center of town. The Bajoran had a feeling that in a few years there would be more people choosing to live as Klingons and might even chose to leave the village, but she knew that was a long ways off. For now Worf only taught his child and others who were willing as a way to pass of his Klingon heritage and to inspire them to live as brave warriors.

She spotted Sisko walking with his wife, the three youngest of their seven children with them. Kira remembered when Jadzia had come to visit her a few days ago. The Trill had told her that Sisko was excited about becoming a grandfather. Apparently the oldest of Sisko's children was going to become a parent, making Sisko the first grandfather in the entire colony. He was planning to tell everyone the news tonight at the community dinner, but had told Jadzia before anyone else. She in turn had told Kira, just to keep Sisko busy while she prepared a surprise with Sisko's expecting child.

"What has you so lost in thought, my love?" asked Odo.

Kira turned around to see her husband, Odo, standing behind her. Of all the people who had changed since the crash, Kira suspected Odo had changed the most. No longer did Odo present the security uniform he had worn for most of the first years after the crash. Now he presented his humanoid form clad in a simple work tunic, pants and boots like most of the men of the village. His shape shifting had also improved. His face no longer appeared to be half formed, looking now almost indistinguishable from a genuine humanoid. Kira had insisted Odo did not need to change for her, but Odo had told her that he himself had changed since they came to Gaia and he wanted his appearance to show that.

"What were you thinking about, Nerys?" gently asked Odo.

"I was just thinking about all that has changed since we first arrived." replied Kira.

Odo let out a hearty laugh and gave Kira a warm smile, something he would not have done before the crash when they were still on Deep Space 9.

"You can reminisce about the past later. Benjamin has called everyone in for dinner early. Apparently he had an announcement that he wants to make." informed Odo.

Kira smiled to herself, deciding not to tell Odo about what Sisko was going to announce. The two joined hands and walked to the town hall, where everyone was gathering for dinner as they did every night since their first day on Gaia.

 **Sorry about the late update. I have been having writers block and couldn't think of a way to continue the story. I'll try to update faster in the future. Tell me if anyone seems out of character. Comment if you like the story.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't own the Star Trek franchise or any of the characters.**

Odo sighed as he did his morning rounds of the village. The former constable looked about the thriving town that had grown so much since the _Defiant_ crew first crash landed on Gaia. The small settlement constructed by the forty-nine members of the _Defiant_ crew had grown and prospered as the years went by, and Odo had been there to see it all.

He had lived through the first harsh winter where the crew struggled to survive to the point where the population of the settlement grew so much that several others had to be constructed to house the sudden overflow in population. Over eight thousand people were spread across the several settlements scattered about Gaia, but Odo still called the original his home. After all, it was where his beloved wife, Kira, and the rest of his friends were buried.

Slowly, as the years went by, the original settlers of Gaia slowly died, one by one. Some died from sickness or injury. A few were lost during the years when the harvest was poor. But most of the crew had died from old age.

Bashir and his wife, Angie, had been some of the first to die. The two doctors had been well into their nineties at the time of their passing, only a few short months apart. Behind the two had left a legacy of every medicine and vaccine they had found, which was continued to be expanded upon and refined by their descendants.

Odo laughed to himself as he thought of the settlement's chief doctor. She was the spitting image of Bashir and constantly trying to live up to the legend that Julian had become to all his descendants. At least, Odo realised, the new doctor was not as bad as some of his other friend's descendants.

Yedrin Dax, great-grandson of Jadzia Dax and Worf, was by far one of the worst cases when it came to try and live up to his ancestor's legacy as he actually possessed Jadzia's memories and those of every previous host of the Dax symbiont. Odo had had trouble dealing with Yedrin's mother and grandfather after they received the Dax symbiont, each acting somewhat like Jadxia had, but Yedrin was far different. Of all of Jadzia's descendants that had held the Dax symbiont, Yedrin had carried the fewest signs of acting like a joined Trill. Odo remembered how Yedrin's mother had theorised that the mixture of Klingon and human blood in their bloodline would slowly dilute all the Trill in them until it was impossible for any of Jadzia's descendants to host the Dax symbiont.

In earlier years Odo had suggested trying to find some possible candidates to host the Dax symbiont among the Sons of Mogh, but Yedrin's mother had refused. Though the Sons of Mogh had been founded by Worf and several of his children not long after Jadzia's death, they wanted little to do with any of the settlements, only coming in every now and then to trade goods and recruit new members. The majority of the Sons of Mogh didn't even have a trace of Klingon blood in them, mostly all being descended from the human members of the _Defiant_ crew. And even those that did have Klingon blood, such as their leader Borta, had even less Trill blood than Yedrin and his mother.

After Yedrin had received the Dax symbiont, he had asked Odo to stop looking for another host. Yedrin had accepted that he would be the last host to the Dax symbiont and asked Odo to do the same. Odo had not been pleased with the decision but had grudgingly accepted Yedrin's request. Though each host had been different, part of them had still carried Jadzia within them. Once Yedrin died Odo would truly be the last survivor of the _Defiant_ crew.

Such thought always weighed heavily on Odo's heart. Out of all the crew members, Odo knew he would live the longest. He had outlived Sisko, who passed away after leading the settlement for over sixty years. He'd outlived O'Brien, who had still insisted they would all find a way back to DS9 until his dying breath. But worst of all, Odo had outlived his beloved wife Kira, who had joined the Prophets not seventy-odd years ago.

Odo was brought out of his musings when the elected village leader, Miranda O'Brien (one of Miles' descendants), came running up to him. The Changeling looked blond woman, surprised at her unnaturally frantic state. In the forty years that Odo had known Miranda since she was born, the O'Brien woman had always been calm and level headed. After all, those were the qualities that had gotten her nominated and elected village leader.

"Why are you frantic, Miranda? I have not seen you this worried since that yar-bear nearly attacked the village last year." asked Odo.

Miranda quickly straitened her skirts and wiped the sweat from her brown, trying to make herself more presentable before addressing the former constable.

"Yedrin and I were comparing notes for the meeting between all the villages next month, when one of the old atmospheric monitors began going off. Odo, we think it's the _Defiant_." told Miranda.

Odo was left speechless. He knew this day would come but he never knew exactly where or when. The calendar and year the Gaians had developed was nowhere near similar to that used by the Federation or Starfleet. True, they had tried to keep track of the days in the early years after the crash, but after a few decades it became pointless. The crew knew the _Defiant_ had been thrown roughly two hundred years into the past, but they could never get more precise than that. None of them had expected to live to see the time the _Defiant_ would first crash (besides Odo and the Dax symbiont) so they had forgotten about it as the challenged of everyday life became more important. However, the crew's descendants had been awaiting the day and for the last ten years been expecting the _Defiant_ to show up some time or another.

"If the _Defiant_ has truly arrived then we should prepare. They will all likely be confused and need answers to what it going on. I shall accompany you to the meeting. A familiar face will most likely be more accepting than that of a stranger." stated Odo.

The two began making their way to the town hall. Miranda went on about the plan Yedrin had been refining to create a second _Defiant_ (a plan that had been started by his great-grandmother Jadzia) so one would crash and ensure Gaia's founding and the other could escape the planet to continue the war against the Dominion, but Odo was not listening. The only thing on the Changeling's mind was reuniting with a certain Bajoran who now lay so close within his reach.

 **Sorry about the late update. I've grown rather disinterested with this story but did not want to leave it unfinished so I've left it a bit open ended. I hope it's better than having no ending. Hope you liked the story.**


End file.
